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LNER Peppercorn Class A1
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn Class A1 is a type of express passenger steam locomotive. Forty-nine Peppercorn Class A1s were built to the design of Arthur Peppercorn (who was the last Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the LNER) during the early British Railways era. They were the most reliable engines on the North Eastern Region, but all were withdrawn and scrapped with the discontinuation of steam, with none of the original locomotives surviving into preservation. In 2008, a brand new 50th Peppercorn A1 locomotive, 60163 Tornado, was completed. Background Most of the former LNER Class A1 locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley had been rebuilt as LNER Class A3 locomotives prior to this class being conceived. The few straggling LNER Class A1 locomotives that remained unrebuilt during the tenure of Peppercorn's predecessor, Edward Thompson, were redesignated by him as Class A10s in preparation for the construction of his new Class A1 locomotives. Thompson rebuilt the pioneer LNER pacific Great Northern in 1945; originally this was the new Class A1, but the rebuild was not repeated. Instead, initiated by Thompson but largely taken forward by his successor Arthur Peppercorn, Great Northern was designated Class A1/1, and a new class of Peppercorn A1s ordered. The locomotives were designed to cope with the heaviest passenger trains in the post-war period on the East Coast Main Line (London– York – Newcastle – Edinburgh – Aberdeen) which consisted normally of trains with up to 15 coaches and up to 550 tons. The Peppercorn A1s were able to pull such a train on the flat at a speed of 60–70 mph (95-110 km/h). Like previous LNER pacifics, the class had a 3-cylinder arrangement. The chimney system was of the type Double-Kylchap. Original locomotives Construction The new A1s were ordered by the LNER but delivered after that company had been nationalised to form part of British Railways at the start of 1948. The 49 engines were built at the Eastern Region's Doncaster and Darlington works between 1948 and 1949. Withdrawal and preservation By summer of 1966 all 49 class members had gone for scrap. The last to be withdrawn from stock was No. 60145 Saint Mungo after a working life of just 17 years. 60145 Saint Mungo was planned to be preserved by Geoff Drury, however, it ultimately was unsuccessful and none of the original locomotives were preserved. List of original locomotives Below is a list of original Peppercorn A1 Locomotives Notes on names The names of the A1s were an eclectic mix including: * Racehorses: Bois Roussel, Silurian, Scottish Union, Bongrace, Pommern, Foxhunter, Alcazar, Boswell, King's Courier, Aboyeur, Amadis, Willbrook, Flamboyant * Names of people: W. P. Allen (an LNER locomotive driver who became a member of the Railway Executive in 1948), Archibald Sturrock, Patrick Stirling, H. A. Ivatt, Sir Vincent Raven, Wilson Worsdell, Edward Fletcher (Locomotive Superintendents of pre-grouping railways), Sir Walter Scott, Saint Mungo * Names related to the works of Sir Walter Scott: Meg Merrilies, Hal o’ the Wynd, Kenilworth, Guy Mannering, Marmion, Borderer, Madge Wildfire, Redgauntlet, Bonnie Dundee. Some of these names had previously been used on NBR J class locomotives * Pre-grouping railway companies: North Eastern, Great Central, Great Eastern, North British * Birds: Kittiwake, Curlew, Kestrel, Osprey, Sea Eagle, Peregrine * Place-related names: Balmoral, Abbotsford (Sir Walter Scott's house), Midlothian, Holyrood, Bon Accord (motto of Aberdeen), Auld Reekie (a soubriquet for Edinburgh), Saint Johnstoun (an old name for Perth), Aberdonian No. 60163 Tornado Main article: 60163 Tornado None of the original 49 Peppercorn A1s survived into preservation, however in 2008 a brand new 50th A1 based on the Peppercorn blueprints, 60163 Tornado, was completed as the evolved member of the class. Accidents and incidents * On 5 June 1950, locomotive No. 60153 Flamboyant''was hauling an express passenger train which was derailed at Tollerton, North Yorkshire due to heat buckled track. * On 14 April 2018, locomotive No. 60163 ''Tornado was hauling an excursion train named "The Ebor Flyer" from London King's Cross to York. While traveling at 90mph around Sandy, south of Peterborough, the locomotive's inside motion failed. Models Bachmann Branchline and Hornby make models in OO gauge, Graham Farish produce a model in N gauge and Accucraft (UK) make a live steam model in gauge 1. Category:LNER Locomotives Category:London and North Eastern Railway Category:United Kingdom Category:4-6-2 Locomotives Category:4-6-2 Steam Locomotives Category:Tender Engines Category:Six Coupled Locomotives Category:Three-cylindered locomotives Category:Steam Locomotives Category:4-6-2 Pacifics Category:Built in 1948 Category:LNER Peppercorn Class A1 Category:Pacific locomotives Category:British Rail Category:Scrapped Locomotives